Travel is a major part of modern life. Spending weeks or even months away from home during the year is now commonplace. Travel can be stressful. It's often messy and a little chaotic. Having a bit of zen among the hustle and bustle can really change an entire trip.

Why does it matter?

I have a background in sales. I was working as a sales director for a company and It required that I traveled all over the country. I actually enjoy travel, but this was right smack dab in the middle of my worst battle with depression. I was absolutely miserable. This had nothing to do with the employer or the job, it was just a very challenging time in my life. Consequently, any reprieve was celebrated. I couldn't afford a lot of luxury at the time, so my nightly shave became really important to me. When the rest of your day sucks, having a bit that doesn't is important.

What's wrong with other travel brushes?

Well, nothing really, but they could be a LOT better. Here's my issue with them, the knots are simply too small. Yes, a 22mm or 24mm knot is enough for a shave, but we're not looking for "enough", we're looking for luxury! Remember the sales director story? Imagine having a stressful day and getting to the hotel only to "enjoy" a utilitarian shave experience. What a bummer!  

So, what makes a good travel brush then?

It comes down to three things:

1. Knot size- The travel brushes I typically see on the market are just too small. They'll get the job done, but we can do a little better than that! Our travel brushes are a generous 26mm which is more than enough for a luxurious multi-pass shave. 
2. Ease of travel- A perfect travel brush needs to be able to travel (duh!). Well, when I was frustrated with the insufficient travel brushes, I'd bring my full-sized barber-style brushes on the road with me, but they were just too big to fit in the toiletry bag. So it needs to be small. It also needs to dry quickly. Oftentimes there isn't much time between a shave and a flight, so a synthetic knot is essential (In my opinion). Give them a shake and they're almost instantly entirely dry.  
3. Cost of replacement- Bags are lost, things get broken, items are left, it's just the reality of travel. A perfect travel brush is one that gets the job done without the liability of a massive price tag. Traveling with my nice shaving brushes was always a bit stressful. I have a few that I would be heartbroken if they were damaged, lost, or left behind. I wanted to make a brush that works perfectly, but one you ultimately don't care that much about (talk about a weird project for a craftsman!)